Bar Council says reports from barristers show repeated prisoner transport delays affecting court hearings
The Bar Council has published new findings highlighting what it describes as widespread delays to court proceedings caused by the late delivery of prisoners to court across England and Wales.
The report, published on 16 July 2026, is based on more than 200 reports submitted by barristers detailing instances where people in custody arrived late for hearings or were not brought to court at all. According to the Bar Council, the reports average around 13 each week and identify delays across 69 courts and 59 prisons.
A quarter of the reported incidents involved delays of more than five hours. The Bar Council said the findings demonstrate that prisoner transport delays are having a significant impact on the efficient operation of criminal courts.
The organisation has been collecting evidence through a dedicated reporting system as part of its wider Justice Needs Juries campaign. It said the information is intended to support discussions with HM Courts & Tribunals Service, the Ministry of Justice, parliamentarians and the media about the effect of these delays on the justice system.
For solicitors acting in criminal, youth and family proceedings where defendants are produced from custody, the report highlights an operational issue that may contribute to disrupted hearings, adjournments and lost court time. The Bar Council is encouraging legal professionals to report every instance of delayed prisoner delivery so that a broader evidence base can be assembled.
The report does not examine individual cases but instead presents aggregate observations gathered from barristers across England and Wales. It identifies recurring problems where individuals in custody either arrive several hours after the scheduled start of proceedings or do not reach court at all.
The Bar Council says these reports will be used to illustrate the practical impact of prisoner transport delays during ongoing engagement with government and other stakeholders. It is continuing to invite barristers to submit reports whenever delays occur, stating that each report helps build a clearer picture of how frequently the issue affects court business.
The publication forms part of the Bar Council’s broader work on criminal justice system reform, focusing on operational factors that affect the timely progression of cases through the courts. By documenting delays across multiple courts and prisons, the organisation says it aims to support evidence-based discussions on improving the efficiency of prisoner transport and reducing disruption to court proceedings.